title: Proteomic analysis of cervical vaginal fluid proteins among women in recurrent preterm labor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Proteomic analysis of four cervical-vaginal fluid (CVF) proteins to identify biomarkers of recurrent preterm birth (rPTB) in at-risk women prior to onset of preterm labor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nested case control study from 2007 to 2011 of women with prior spontaneous preterm birth(s) (PTB) who underwent serial CVF sampling. Mass spectrometry analysis was used and ELISA analysis was performed to validate candidates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  108 patients were enrolled and 10 cases and 20 gestational age matched controls were analyzed after exclusions. Of 748 CVF proteins identified, 72 had statistically significant (p < 0.05) expression differences and 38 were highly differentially expressed (p < 0.01). Four candidate proteins were abundant and involved in immune/inflammatory response, but ELISA analysis did not confirm altered expression patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of confirmation of potential biomarkers identified by mass spectrometry and ELISA demonstrates the challenges of validating PTB biomarkers and suggests that a panel of biomarkers would improve the predictive value of CVF testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology .
authors.forename: Jamie O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Ashok P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Phillip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wilmarth
authors.forename: Victoria H J
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinhnarath
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Monica P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rincon
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gravett
authors.forename: Srinivasa R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nagalla
authors.forename: Leonardo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics; D012008:Recurrence; D014621:Vagina / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins
keywords: Cervical vaginal fluid; proteins; proteomics; recurrent preterm birth